Goemkarponn desk
Panaji: Tamasha and Wari, two significant, but fading cultural traditions of Maharashtra have been utilised by the Dalit community as mediums of expression and therefore, need to be preserved for their ideological significance, stated photojournalist Sandesh Bhandare.
Bhandare raised the importance of this preservation exercise during the recently held MOG Sundays talk titled ‘Traditions of Tamasha and Wari’ at the Museum of Goa, Pilerne.
Pune-based photographer Bhandare has been documenting the cultural practices of Tamasha and Wari for over two decades, travelling extensively with the troupes and devotees, respectively, to document these art forms visually. His books ‘Tamasha- Ek Rangdi Gammat’ and ‘Wari- Ek Anandyatra’ capture his extensive visual documentation.
The session trained a spotlight on the importance of preserving these traditions and remembering their roots, “Tamasha and Wari, (as) forms of public entertainment and worship, respectively, aim to sensitise society at large about the traumas associated with the Dalit condition,” said Bhandari.
The talk coincided with Ambedkar Jayanti, the celebration of the birth of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the late Indian politician and social reformer who dedicated his life to fighting for the rights of the marginalised communities and eliminating the caste system in India.
“Wari, a holy pilgrimage to honour Vithoba, an avatar of Lord Vishnu, is today looked upon as a mainstream religious tradition. However, it was initially a statement of revolt by the untouchable communities. The Bahujan community, prevented from accessing places of worship, embarked on this journey to the Vithoba Temple in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, from the villages of Dehu and Alandi, to worship,” said Bhandari.
Similarly, Tamasha, a popular folk art form primarily utilised for rural entertainment that also raises a mirror to society, was utilised to reflect the state of the marginalised in the country.
Bhandare highlighted the late anti-caste social reformer and social activist Jyotirao Phule’s role in adapting the traditional practice of Tamasha to incorporate elements of the marginalised communities’ experience for widespread sensitisation.
“The socio-political and economic commentary presented in an entertainment package to the masses aids in granting practitioners of the traditional art form of Tamasha a sense of pride and self-respect. Tamasha also has the ability to be adapted to reflect any issue that the artists feel the need to address, which makes it an extremely powerful folk art form,” stated Bhandare.
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